FAf HERS AND CHILDREN
near the balustrade, on the table, among great
bunches of lilac, the samovar was already boil-
ing, A little girl came up, the same who had
been the first to meet them at the steps on
their arrival the evening before. In a shrill
voice she said—
'Fedosya Nikolaevna is not quite weir, she
cannot come; she gave orders to ask you, \vill
you please to pour out tea yourself, or should
she send Dunyasha ? J
11 will pour out myself, myself/ interposed
Nikolai Petrovitch hurriedly. * Arkady, how
do you take your tea, with cream, or with
lemon ? *
* With cream/ answered Arkady; and after a
brief silence,he uttered interrogatively, 'Daddy?1
Nikolai Petrovitch in confusion looked at his
son.
•Well?' he said.
Arkady dropped his eyes.
4 Forgive me, dad, if my question seems un-
suitable to you/ he began,' but you yourself, by
your openness yesterday, encourage me to be
open . . . you will not be angry . . .?'
* Go on/
* You give me confidence to ask you.,.. Isn't
the reason, Fen .. . isn't the reason she will not
come here to pour out tea, because I *m here ?*
Nikolai Petrovitch turned slightly away,
3*